Patent GB-956994-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to vehicle-guiding systems
IPC: E01B25/28
Filed: 1961-11-28
Abstract: 956,994. Railway crossings. R. MAESTRELLI. Nov. 28, 1961 [Dec. 1, 1960], No. 42425/61. Heading E1G. A vehicle-guiding system comprises rails 1a, 1b and 2a, 2b defining tracks for a vehicle having at least two rollers, e.g. 3a, 3b (Fig. 3), on each side of the vehicle and mounted to rotate about vertical axes on the inside and outside of an associated rail so that one or both of the rollers can bear on the rail according to its configuration and disposition, the rails 1a, 1b and 2a, 2b converging to a crossing from which they diverge, defined by two generally convergent divergent guide rails, as shown in Fig. 1, comprising a first pair of parallel guide-rail portions 8, 9 positioned between second and third pairs 4, 6 and 5, 7 respectively, pivotally movable into and out of alignment with corresponding ones of the guide-rail portions 8, 9 so that both of the outer rails are. made continuous through the crossing to change the direction of the vehicle entering it (Fig. 3), or the rail portions 8, 9 are aligned respectively with a rail portion of the pair 4, 6 and a rail portion of the pair 5, 7 to guide the vehicle directly across the crossing. In one embodiment the rail portions 8, 9 are pivotally movable and are constituted by a pair of superposed rails 8b, 8a (Fig. 5) respectively disposed to co-operate with the rollers 3a, 3b. In another embodiment there is a pair of structures 12, 13, each as shown in Fig. 9, of rectangular cross-section and rotatable about an axis XIII-XIII parallel to the direction of the tracks and capable of being locked in one of three positions in which one side of each of said structures is horizontal so that a vehicle can pass along it, so that when the structure is locked (1) in one position the guide-rail portions 8, 9 are constituted by guide rails 15, 17 respectively on each structure 12, 13, extending in one direction obliquely across one side thereof (Fig. 10), (2) in a second position the guide-rail portions 8, 9 are constituted by guide rails 14, 16 respectively on each structure 12, 13 extending in the opposite direction obliquely across another side thereof, and (3) in a third position the structure presents a flat surface to the vehicle and the guide-rail portions 8, 9 are constituted by parallel fixed rails 10, 11 (Fig. 12) mounted outside an associated one of the structures 12, 13, the direction of the vehicle entering the crossing being changed when the structures 12, 13 are locked in the third position. Each of the rails 10, 11, comprises a pair of superposed rails disposed to co-operate with the rollers 3a, 3b (Fig. 12). Each of the guiderail portions 8, 9 mounted on the structures 12, 13 comprises a single rail, e.g. 16 (Fig. 9), to co-operate with the roller 3a. One or each end of the guide-rail portions 8, 9 may be curved and one end of each of the pairs 4, 6 and 5, 7 adjacent to the rail portions 8, 9 may be curved. In a modification of the first embodiment only one of the rail sections 8, 9 is provided, so that only two motions of the vehicle, wherein it is guided directly across the crossing, are obtained. Specification 940,782 is referred to.